Quick Bread with Thai Basil Pesto

Ingredients

Thai basil pesto sauce:

• 2 ½ cups Thai basil (plus 1 cup with stems intact for garnish)
• 12 oz roasted pine nuts
• 10 cloves garlic (2 heads of garlic)
• 5 cups baby spinach
• 10 oz parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 ½ tbsp fresh lime juice
• ½ cup olive oil

Quick bread:

• 4 cups flour (plus 1 cup for rolling dough on the counter surface)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ tbsp salt
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 ½ cup full-fat buttermilk
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup Thai basil pesto (premade from recipe above)

Filling:

• 2 cup Thai basil pesto (pre-made from recipe above)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Oil for brushing the rolls before baking

Instructions

Make the Pesto Sauce:

1. 1
   Toss all the pesto ingredients into a large food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside. *8-10 minutes*

Make the Quick Bread:

2. 1
   In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, ground white pepper, baking soda, baking powder, and pepper. Whisk them together well.
3. 2
   Add the wet ingredients and ½ cups of buttermilk to the bowl. Use a mixer with a dough hook to mix on low speed for 1 minute.
4. 3
   Gradually increase the mixer speed to medium and slowly add the rest of the buttermilk and whole milk. Knead the dough in the mixer for 4-5 minutes until it's stretchy. Remove the hook and leave the dough in the bowl.
5. 4
   Lightly flour a clean surface. Take small pieces of dough (about ½ cup each) and roll them into balls. Flatten each ball with your hands, then use a rolling pin to make it thinner.
6. 5
   Spread about 1 tablespoon of pesto evenly on the flattened dough. Then add about 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese.
7. 6
   Wrap the dough back into a ball, sealing in the filling.
8. 7
   Repeat this process until you’ve used all the dough. Cover the finished rolls and set them aside until you're ready to bake.
9. 8
   Brush the tops of the pesto-filled rolls with a little oil. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (200°C) for 30 minutes or until golden brown.